CHARITY
Ramadan is a month of earning rewards, and one quick yet highly effective way to earn reward is by giving money into charitable avenues.
We have to always remind ourselves that our money is not truly our own. Allah Ta’ala has given it to us to see how we spend iy. We’re fortunate that He hasn’t prohibited us from spending it on ourselves, our comfort and our wishes. However, we should feel it’s our duty to give back at least a small amount.
Firstly Zakah is a form of charity. Zakahis giving 2.5% of your total “Zakatable” wealth after a year has passed after having owned the minimum amount of wealth required for someone to have to pay Zakah.
For example, if the amount of wealth you need to have to be liable to pay Zakahis £300, and you have just gathered a total of £300 on the 1stof Ramadan (it has to be calculated using Islamic dates and not the Gregorian calendar dates), then after a whole year, on the 1stof Ramadan next year, you will have to give 2.5% of your total income at that moment.
However, if someone gathered the required total of £300 on another date of the year, such as the 1st of Muharram, must give Zakah ideally on 1st of Muharram next year. They shouldn’t be waiting for the Ramadan of that next year to discharge their Zakah. By delaying it to Ramadan, the calculations may become incorrect and they may be paying less than what they were supposed to.
This is why it’s wrong for people to just “choose” the month of Ramadan for calculating their Zakahdate, but they’re supposed to find out the exact Islamic date, or at least approximate, when they began holding the minimum amount of wealth for Zakahto be necessary.
Another scenario we see is that a person correctly knows their Zakah date but it’s out of Ramadan, and they calculate their Zakahvalue correctly too, however, they delay giving the actual Zakah money until Ramadan starts, as they feel they will receive more reward. Though this is technically valid, it too is a problem.
Though their eagerness to gain reward is praiseworthy, Zakah money should be given immediately so that the poor recipients can benefit from the money sooner. Leaving it late is tantamount to forcing people to starve for a few more months just so that you can gain more reward! Therefore, Zakah should ideally be given as soon as its due date arrives.
As for giving other forms of charity in the month of Ramadan, we have many Hadiths that point to its importance, along with the Hadiths mentioned before:
The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was the most charitable of people, and he was most generous in Ramadan (Ahmad)
Whoever gives Iftar food to a person who fasts, or prepares a warrior for battle, he will have the same reward as them. (Bayhaqi)
Not only are rewards multiplied in the month of Ramadan, but there are more opportunities to give to the poor too, as more people will be fasting and require food for Iftar.
Here are some ideas you can consider:
•Donate a large amount for Iftar food for people around the world using charities and online payment. Specifically choose the Iftar option so that the money is used solely for that and so that you get the reward of their fasts too!
•Donate an amount to Masajid if they buy Iftar for the Musallis to break their fasts with.
•Donate a fixed amount daily using websites that have systems allowing you to automatically donate an amount a day, such as £1, £5 etc.
•Personally, donate every night into a charity, so that you can get the reward of spending in Laylatul-Qadr, even if it’s £1.
•Give money locally too, to local Zakah projects, your local Masajid, especially those that need funds for refurbishments and paying debts.
•Give money to local Madaris and Islamic institutes. Try to see if there’s something specific they need or would benefit from and donate it, such as a broken window, carpets, books etc.
•Give money for orphans, widows, teachers, students, water pumps and wells, medical care, and disaster-stricken places etc. Be diverse rather than just selecting “most needy”!
•Donate to build Masajid abroad—not only are there less Masajid in some parts of the world, but they may be cheaper to build too! However, always remember local ones are important too and local ones will always cost more, as they will need to match local buildings.
•Be careful of giving money into money boxes—find out how often they are emptied and used, so that your money doesn’t just lie around for the whole Ramadan but is used up! It may be a good idea to donate online to avoid this.
•Send money with reliable people abroad where you know there’s a genuine need. Be careful of door-to-door charity collectors! They’re not all genuine!
•Buy gifts for family, friends, neighbours and co-workers. Send food to their houses too. If you have Non-Muslim neighbours, make a point of sending with the food a card that informs them of the purpose of Ramadan and how Islam emphasises good relations with neighbours, or any other relevant morals.
•Set yourself a large target of how much you want to give in the whole month, and make sure it’s spent. Set it aside from the first day so that you don’t have second thoughts afterwards.
•Encourage your children to donate too by giving them an amount and either asking them to put it into a jar daily, or letting them choose where they want to give it.
BY HUDA PRESS
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